Ubiquiti mFi and Fire Alarms

[eddyc]

Hi all,

 

We have quite a complex site here. 7 different buildings which between them have three different fire alarm systems.

 

There used to be a number of manual relays between buildings to ensure that the whole site would be evacuated in one go, however of current alarm provider has managed to somehow break the link between the buildings and this saga has been on-going for months now.

 

I recall seeing more than one post on here from people who have complex sites and the fact that they are using mFis to link the panels together.

 

I would love to speak to someone who has done this as I have a couple of questions before I go ahead with making the suggestion here.

 

Is it possible for those who have set this up and have it working to either PM me or reply here so I can ask you a couple of questions? I would be most grateful.

 

Kind regards, eddyc

[Sibrows]

For something as important as the fire alarm a) do you want to use a piece of kit that's been EOL for a few years and b) do you want it on your head when it doesn't work?

[eddyc]

For something as important as the fire alarm a) do you want to use a piece of kit that's been EOL for a few years and b) do you want it on your head when it doesn't work?

 

It already doesn't work and has not worked for some time using the existing company, plus other fire experts from other companies have come in too. The alarm itself is fine (on a building by basis) it is the links between buildings and different systems that does not work.

 

a) The building with the fire in will always activate so in the event the mFi doesn't trigger other buildings, it is not the end of the world as the source of the fire will always go into fire (however our practice is to evacuate the site).

 

b) I have seen others on here that set this up and have it working reliable - hence my post asking to speak to them.

 

c) I was unaware that it was end of life - is there a replacement product for it?

[robyholmes]

It just begs the question why they can't get them to talk to each other? The simplest way to connect them would be via a relay and one wiring coming between them.

 

Can you get a cable between building or are you looking for a network route because that's the only connection going between buildings?

[eddyc]

It just begs the question why they can't get them to talk to each other? The simplest way to connect them would be via a relay and one wiring coming between them.

 

Can you get a cable between building or are you looking for a network route because that's the only connection going between buildings?

 

 

No we have FP200 fire cable between all of the panels which is what the system used to link the panels over.

 

I personally believe the issue is that we have three different manufacturers of fire panels and someone from our support company has done something to the relays on one of the panels but now doesn't know what.

 

External companies presumably are struggling to get it working as they've never seen it working before and it is a complex beast to get your head around.

 

If we could literally tell the current provider to send a closed signal to the mFi when the panel is in to fire (or to accept a closed signal from a mFi as a fire signal on auxiliary panels) then surely that would be quicker and more reliable than continuing with this on-going saga.

 

The alarm company blame to manufacturers, the manufacturers blame the alarm company, etc, etc.

 

As someone who looks silly every time the fire alarm goes off and only activates random buildings I was looking for the quickest and easiest fix to this issue.

 

eddyc

[bald_pig]

No we have FP200 fire cable between all of the panels which is what the system used to link the panels over.

 

I personally believe the issue is that we have three different manufacturers of fire panels and someone from our support company has done something to the relays on one of the panels but now doesn't know what.

 

External companies presumably are struggling to get it working as they've never seen it working before and it is a complex beast to get your head around.

 

If we could literally tell the current provider to send a closed signal to the mFi when the panel is in to fire (or to accept a closed signal from a mFi as a fire signal on auxiliary panels) then surely that would be quicker and more reliable than continuing with this on-going saga.

 

The alarm company blame to manufacturers, the manufacturers blame the alarm company, etc, etc.

 

As someone who looks silly every time the fire alarm goes off and only activates random buildings I was looking for the quickest and easiest fix to this issue.

 

eddyc

 

But this is what is currently happening, but with a cable linking them, no? I don't think changing the external signal source is going to make a difference, the problem sounds like the alarm relays.

[robyholmes]

But this is what is currently happening, but with a cable linking them, no? I don't think changing the external signal source is going to make a difference, the problem sounds like the alarm relays.

 

Yes I agree, unless the cable itself is faulty, which should be easy to test and I would hope they have already done this. Then changing it for another method isn't going to solve it. All it does is give the alarm companies another person to blame, you.

[eddyc]

The alarm company finally got this working using the existing FP200 cables between the buildings.

 

In the end they replaced all of the relay cards in all 7 fire panels... 20+ add-in cards I believe as some panels linked one way and then back again.

 

As to why they couldn’t fault find and just replace the faulty relay(s) is beyond me, but at least it’s all back up and working now as it was previously.

[mavhc]

Because they're alarm people not networking people or software people.